Temperature regulator



22 1927. March I G. E. THORNE TEMPERATURE REGULATOR Filed April 17, 1923 2 ALk gwuwntoz rennet nee re, rest.

. @EQEGE E. @HQENE, 0F TREN'IUN, NEW JERSEY.

TEMPERATURE REGULATGE.

Application filed April 17, 1923. Serial No. 632.3%.

lhe prlmary object of this invention is s the provision of a novel device for use in connection with automotive vehicles, so positioned thereon that the cooling system of the internal combustion engine thereof may be conveniently and accuretely regulated in from the drivers compartment of the vehicle.

A. further object of this invention 1S the provision of; e novel regulating mechanism ads ted tor accessory use upon automotive i vehicles so that the driver at all times may here the cooling system of the vehicle under direct control. v

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel type of regulating fi l mechanism for the cooling fans of automotive vehicles.

Other objects and advantages of this 1nvention will be apparent durin the course of the following detailed descr1ption.

ln the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein sum ila'r reference chnrncters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

l ignre l is a fragmentar view, partly m w section, of the forward en of an automotive vehicle, showing the internal combustion engine as associated therewith and the improved re ulating mechanism for the coolini system t erect.

igure 2 1s a pers ective view otthe instrent board or ash of the automotive vehicle, showing more particularly on adjusting mechanism for maintaming the temperature regulating device in. s-deternnned position, 0 a

Figure 3 is a cross sect1onalv1ew, show ng more particularly the improved regulating mechanism as associated with the driving belt of e cooling fan.

Figure t is a fragmentary cross sectional view, showing one type of adjusting mechanism, which may be used upon the instrument board of the automotive vehicle to maintein the desired adjustment of the term pereture' regulator.

ln the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown but the preferred embodiment-of this invention, the letter A may generally designate a vehicle, havin an internal combustion engine B mounted hood structure 10 and the instrument thereon for propelling purposes, which may have associated therewithe cooling device C, such as the fan type. The improved relating mechanism 1) is adapted foras'soeetion with the vehicle A and its internel comhus w tion engine for directly regulating the eficiency of the cooling mechanism G in convenient and accurate manner.

The vehicle A may oi course he of any automotive type, preferably includin the 65 card, 11 facing the drivers compartment, and up on which different control instruments end indicating devices'are positioned. The internal combustion engine B may of course he of any preferred type, either with air or water cooling systems, The most general cooling system-is that utilizing water no the cooling medium, and in connection with which the radiator 12 is used, as in any up proved type of construction. The crhnlr shaft 14: of the internal combustion engine may have a pulley 15 mounted thereon, about which the fan belt ldrnay be trained. At its other end, the fan belt 16 is trained over a. all relatively smaller pulley 17, which'may he carried by a stub shaft 18 attached in any approved manner to the housing or the in ternal combustion engine B. p

The pulley 17 is of course directly et- 85 tached to the .fan v20, which in ordinnry con struction is located just rearwerdly ot the radiator 12 to create a draft through the radiator for purposes of cooling the waiter flowing therethrough, as is well'understood W by those skilled in the art to which this in vention pertains. It is preferred that in its normal position, without an engaement by the regulating mechanism the it 16 he positioned slack upon its pulleys l5 and 17, l so that when in such positlon the tan can not be driven thereby. In order to prevent displacement of the belt 16 when in such slack position, the annular retaining flanges 20 are provided at each side and circumler entially extending outwardly from the pulleys 15 and 17. l Referring to the improved means ll), whereby the speed of the cooling fan may be regulated from the drivers compartment 1% of the vehicle, the same preferably includes a substantially L-shaped member 25, which includes a relatively long straight portion 26, in the nature of a shaft, which is rotatably supported above the cylinder head 27 of the internal combustion en ine B, as by brackets 28 and 29. This sha t or rod portion 26 may be inclined slightly to the horizontal and is rotatably supported within hollow cylindrical journal boxes 30 of the brackets above mentioned. Each of said brackets 28 and 29 include a pair of {eggs arranged in V-shaped relation. At t leir lower ends, these legs are outturned and apertured for engagement with the top surface of the cylinder head 27 and are bolted upon said cylinder head, as by means of the conventional attaching bolt 35 provided up on practically all types of internal combus tion engines. The-brace member or bearing 28 is relatively higher than the brace member 29, to support the shaft portion 26 of member 25 in its slightly inclined relation above mentioned.

A relatively long brace member 36 may be provided immediately forwardly of the internal combustion engine B, which may include a bearing head 37 for oscillatively receiving the shaft portion 26, and includes legs extending in' diverging relation for attachment to any suitable part 37 of the internal combustion engine B, as by the conventional bolts 38 provided as a part of the internal combustion engine structure 37.

The member 25 at its forward end is pro-- vided with a dependingarm 40, which is bent substantially at right angles to the shaft or rod portion 26, and positioned to operate in a horizontal plane, upon rotation or operation of the rod portion 26. At its extreme lower end, the arm portion. 40 is preferably bent, as at 41, in order to rotatably receive a roller member 42 of any approved construction, Which is adapted for engagement with the exterior of theifan driving belt 16, as will be subsequently set forth.

At its rear end, the shaft portion 26 extends throu h the instrument board or dash 11, and is ent to provide a right angled cra'nk portion 46, which the operator may grasp to more readily turn the member 25 upon its shaft portion 26 to effect the fan regulating operation. Suitable latch mechanism 49-may be provided u on the dash 11 and the free end of the cran portion 46, so that the regulating mechanismmay be held in a determined position for controlling the speed of the fan 20. i The latch mechanism 49, by way of example, may include a sup porting plate 50 mounted upon the instrument board 11, and provided with a series of socketppenings 51 therein, arran ed in concentric relation with the axis 0 the shaft portion 26. A hollowrhandle or finger engaging knob 52, may be movably supported by the crank portion 46 of the member 25, as by means of a spiral spring 54, so that the "same is normally held by tension of said spring into engagement at the free end of knob 52 may carry a pin 55 adapted for ex-.

tension through an aperture at the free end of the rod crank'46, and of sufficient length L so that the same may be positioned in any of the socket openings 51 of the Wear or sup porting plate 50. It is thusobvious that when the operator of the vehicle desires to move the regulating mechanism Dfor controlling the speed of the fan 20, it will be merely necessary to pull outwardly upon the -finger engaging knob 52 against tension of the'spring 54, and the pin 55 will be moved from its socket 51 of the supporting plate 50, and the crank 46 will then be free to' be swung to any desired adjustment.

The operation of the improved regulating mechanism D is apparent from the foregoing description. It affords a convenient, simple and economical means of having the temperature of the cooling medium under direct regulation at all times. This is a .devsirable feature, as is well known to users of automotive vehicles. Merely by a slight angular movement of the crank end 46 of the member 25, the roller memb'er'42 carried at the depending end of the arm portion 40 of said member 25 is forced a ainst the fan belt 16, as is illustrated in igure 3 of the drawing, to ti hten the same to any degree whereby the fan 20 may be driven at full speed or any intermediate speed. By moving the member 25 so that the roller 42 thereof is out of engagementwith the belt, the fan 20 will not be operated, as above mentioned.

From the foregoing description of this invention, it is obvious that a relatively simple type of regulating device has been provided which can be generally used upon automotive vehicles for regulating the cooling apparatus for the internal combustion engines thereof. It may be installed, as is obvious, without any alternation to the engine or cooling apparatus structures, and affords a very effective means of regulating the cooling apparatus from the-drivers compartment. While I am aware that thermostatic regulating devices and.some mechanical apparatus has been heretofore provided for regulation of cooling fans, for the most part they are of complicated construction,

expensive, and do not afford a practical means of securing the desired regulation. The improved regulating mechanism herein described is preferably adapted for regulatarrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and de-' scribed, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim: 1. 'In a temperature regulator for the engines of automobiles the combination with an internal combustion engine including a porting the elongated body of the operating rod on a fixed axis longitudinally of the internal combustion engine so that upon oscillative movement of said bodyportion the crank offset will be moved transversely of 16 the internal combustion engine in a plane with the plane of rotation of the parallel fan bolt, the crank ofiset portion at the free end thereof having a roller adapted to engage at the outer surface of the endless 2o belt, the crank oflt'set being disposed entirely outw'ardly of the confines of said belt, said body portion of the rod bein adapted for extension rearwardly along the automobile to the instrument board thereof, and detent means for mounting on the instrument board of the automobile for positively holding the body portion of the rod in any of a number of positions whereby the roller on the crank offset of the rod may engage the ex- 3 ternal surface of the fan belt with a desired pressure to re ulate the efiiciency of fan speed or where ythe roller may be entirel lifted free of the fan belt and held in suc position.

2. In a temperature regulator for the engines of automotive vehicles, the combination with an internal combustion engine including a fan and a driving belt therefor, of a substantially L-shaped rod including a relatively long shaft portion and an'oflset end portion, means oscillatively supporting the shaft portion of the rod on a fixed axis longitudinally of the internal combustion engine, with the offset of said rod at the front of the internal combustion engine whereby upon oscillation of the rod upon the axis of said shaft portion the ofisetpon tion may be moved in a substantially vertical plane transversely of the longitudinal axis of the internal combustion engine into and out of engagement with the fan driving belt, and means carried on the vehicle, connected with the end of the shaft portion opposite said offset portion for positive and selective adjustment of the rod so thatthe' ofi'set end may engage the fan belt with a desired pressure to regulate the efficiency of the fan speed.

GEORGE E. THORNE. 

